Nature Center opens at Endicott Park in Danvers

Monday

The new Nature Center at Endicott Park is now open after a private ceremony on the site Thursday.

“We’re very excited to finally have this open,” said Danvers Director of Natural Resources Christopher Sanborn.

The Nature Center is a wing of the restored Carriage House, once part of Glen Magna Farms. It sits adjacent to Endicott Park’s Visitor Center.

The new center features educational and interactive resources such as preserved mounted animals, an arboreal terrarium, a galls enclosed beehive, nature dioramas, a seasonal fish aquarium and a reading corner with books about science and local plants and animals.

The idea for the Nature Center was originally conceived in 1972 by former rangers David and Joan Townley, who worked and lived in the building for 41 years. The concept, however, was finally realized through efforts of the Friends of Endicott Park beginning in 2015.

“It was in the back of our minds all the time,” said Joan Townley, a founding member of the Friends. “The idea was to impart knowledge and a love of the environment and make it accessible to people. The Friends carried on what we did.”

Beginning in 2015, the Friends raised the more than $125,000 needed for the 750 square foot project.

David said the Center opening is “awesome.”

Resident Myrna Fearer, who also writes a weekly column in the Danvers Herald, said the new center is "gorgeous."

The new center was a “neat project" for the town of Danvers, said Town Manager Steve Bartha. It can be a space for summer camps and after school programs, he said.

“Danvers is fiscally conservative,” Bartha said. “It funds what it wants. The only way a project like this can get done is with a dedicated group of volunteers that partner with the town.”

The Nature Center was paid for with the funds raised by the Friends, and with the help of a matching grant from the Massachusetts Development Finance Agency Commonwealth Places program.

“On behalf of the Baker administration, I'm here to celebrate the opening of this lovely Nature Center. This is an absolutely breathtaking facility,” agency head Lauren Liss said at the ceremony. “It was one of the first Commonwealth Places grants, smaller compared to what we usually do, but it was exactly what this project needed. Economic development depends on our communities.”

Liss lives in Gloucester, but her husband, Ron Swanson, grew up in Danvers. She said they still come to town to buy seafood.

The Friends say they hope the Nature Center will be used as an educational resource.

“We are excited the school system will be able to use the center,” said Lois McKenzie, vice-president of the Friends.

Sanborn said the opening of the Center will offer “an opportunity to partner with the school system to reconnect kids with the environment.”

Bob Trudeau, of the town Recreation Committee, said he envisions the Recreation Department also coordinating programs with the Endicott Park to use the Nature Center

Attending as spectators were Selectmen Dan Bennett and Gardner Trask.

“I’m excited to see this fruition of a lot of hard work and vision,” Trask said. “It’s a great addition to the park and town.”

State Sen. Joan Lovely and state Rep. Ted Speliotis were scheduled to appear, but were unable to attend.